DALAT | HANOI | HO CHI MINH CITY | HOI AN |
Vietnam is a country in Southeast Asia. Its neighboring countries are China to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west.
Vietnam's history is a history of war, colonization and rebellion. Occupied by China no less than four times, the Vietnamese managed to beat off the invaders just as often. Vietnam's last emperors were the Nguyễn Dynasty, who ruled from their capital at Hue from 1802 to 1945, although France exploited the succession crisis after the fall of Tự Đức to de facto colonize Vietnam after 1884.
After a brief Japanese occupation in World War II, the Communist Viet Minh under the leadership of Hồ Chí Minh continued the insurgency against the French, with the last Emperor Bao Dai abdicating in 1945 and a proclamation of independence following soon after. The majority of French had left by 1930, but in 1948 they returned to continue the fight until their decisive defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. The Geneva Conference partitioned the country into two at 17th parallel, with a Communist-led North and Ngo Dinh Diem declaring himself President of the Republic of Vietnam in the South.
US economic and military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the Southern Vietnam government, escalating into the dispatch of 500,000 American troops in 1966 and what became known as the Vietnam War - although the Vietnamese refer to it as the American War. What was supposed to be a quick and decisive action soon degenerated into a quagmire, and US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later, on April 30, 1975, a North Vietnamese tank drove into the South's Presidential Palace in Ho Chi Minh City and the war ended. Over 50,000 Americans and an estimated 3 million Vietnamese were killed.
The American Vietnamese war was only one of many that the Vietnamese have fought, but it was the most brutal in its history. Over two thirds of the current population was born after 1975. American tourists will receive a particularly friendly welcome in Vietnam, as many young Vietnamese aspire to American culture.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Vietnam has international airports at Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang. Direct flights are available from Australia, Cambodia, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Brunei, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan , Indonesia, Macau, Qatar and the United States. However, non-stop long-distance flights are limited and most visitors transit via Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taipei.
By train - There are direct international train services from Nanning and Beijing in China to Hanoi. Most require a change of trains at the border at Pingxiang/Dong Dang, but the Chinese-operated daily Nanning express (T871/MR2) runs through, although it still spends about four hours at the border for immigration.
STAY SAFE
Crime - Vietnam is very keen on bolstering foreign tourism: with severe punishments for crimes against tourists, violent crime against foreigners is rare. Nevertheless be alert in the big cities, especially Ho Chi Minh City, where teams on motorbikes drive by their victims to snatch bags, cameras, mobile phones, jewelry, etc. Carry bags on the side away from the street, use money belts, and let the hotel reception keep your valuables.
Also infamously common are thefts on popular beaches, like in the case of Nha Trang, where tourists get into the water for a swim to find out their day bag is gone when they're back to the beach. Never leave your bag unguarded on beaches, and keep your eyes on it.
Prostitution - Prostitution is illegal in Vietnam and the age of consent is 18. Vietnam has laws on the books with penalties up to 20 years in prison for sexually exploiting women and children, and several other countries have laws that allow them to prosecute their own citizens who travel abroad to engage in sex with children.
On the road - Be careful! When traveling within the confines of the city it is fine, as speed is pretty tame. However, getting on the freeway is dangerous, there are a lot of traffic fatalities (average is 30 deaths a day) on the freeways in Vietnam, and some locals will not even venture on them, if not in a big vehicle (car or bus).
Taking a bicycle or motobike on the freeway is not advised. There are transport buses and tour buses that go about 80 km/hour that pay very little attention to what is going on around them (as is usually the way people adhere to traffic in Vietnam). This often leads to accidents, where frequently you will see many bodies lying on the road with a blanket over them and incense burning around them.
RESPECT
Souvenir shops in Vietnam sell lots of T-shirts with the red flag and portraits of "Uncle Ho." They may make good souvenirs, however as many overseas Vietnamese are highly critical of the government of Vietnam you are advised not to wear communist paraphanelia in their communities back home!
It's common to be stared at by locals in some regions, especially in the central and northern side of the country, and in rural areas. Southerners are usually more open.
Asian women travelling with western men could attract lots of attention, being considered lovers, escorts or prostitutes by some people, but this concept is disappearing and in most cases people who still have this way of thinking belong to the low-class. However, in some cases, Asian women traveling with western men could even receive some unwanted comments. Remember that in many aspects Vietnam is still debating itself between the Middle Ages and the 21st century.
French and American travellers should tread lightly when talking about both the French Indochina War of 1946-54 and the "American War" of the mid 1960s-early 1970s. Vietnamese people consider the first as their War of Independence, while the latter conflict is viewed as a war of reunification between the north and the south. 300.000 died in the war of independence and three million Vietnamese died in the American-Vietnamese war, so do not say things that could be taken as an insult to their war dead and the enormous sacrifices made. Furthermore, do not assume that all Vietnamese think alike on this matter; many Vietnamese in the South are still bitter about having lost against the North. Differences of character among Northerners and Southerners are still very palpable, with most of them disliking each other. In general, Northerners are more closed and less friendly to foreigners, particularly Americans, and sometimes even rude.
Many travellers have noted a difference in atmosphere between Southern Vietnam and the traditionally communist North. The pressure to buy unwanted goods and pay inflated prices increases the further north you go. This has led to some travellers who have entered Vietnam from the north leaving the country without travelling to the south, which is a great pity.
Vietnam is a beautiful country but the pressure on Westerners to pay ridiculously inflated prices or invented charges can border on the aggressive - regardless of whether you're American, British, Australian etc. Vietnamese "always" consider foreigners much richer than they are, so they will always (and sometimes without even trying to hide it) make you pay more (especially if you're not Asian). The rule of thumb in Vietnam is to pre-negotiate the price of any service before it is rendered, especially bus, taxi, or motorcycle rides. One of the best investments you can make is in a cheap, durable, battery (solar powered are obviously useless at night) operated calculator, as this makes negotiations much easier, and avoids misunderstandings.
